The Honorable Thing
by Laura Schiller
Summary: Laurel, Chelsea, David and Tamani make several hard decisions about love. L/T, C/D.
1. Chapter 1

The Honorable Thing

By Laura Schiller

Based on: Wings

Copyright: Aprilynne Pike

Laurel had never broken up with a boy before, and had no idea how to go about it. There had been occasions in her life when she had been required to turn down a prospective suitor (a natural consequence of being born symmetrical), but never anything like what she was about to do.

She and David were on her sofa together, having just finished watching _The Return of the King_, when she decided to do it. It was not an ideal time – the credits were rolling with their hauntingly gorgeous music; David had his arm around her, warm and comfortable as ever; and the dreamy look in his blue eyes was so endearing that she could hardly bear to ruin the moment. But then again, there never _would_ be an ideal time, and so she scooted away and grabbed for the remote.

David looked at her with a frown of puzzled inquiry as she hit the pause button.

"Somehing wrong?"

She clenched her fists in her lap as she turned towards him, looking over his left shoulder as she couldn't meet his eyes.

"David … um … at the risk of sounding cliché … we need to talk."

A glance at his face showed that his mouth was set in a hard, thin line. It was the same look she had seen when he had caught her leaving Avalon with Tamani; the same night Tamani had kissed her. David was smart; he could probably guess what she was about to tell him.

"Talk about what?" he asked, clearly making an effort to sound calm.

"I don't think we should see each other anymore … you know … like this." She waved her hand to include the video, the sofa and the two bowls of snacks on the coffee table (chocolate for him, peaches for her). "Like a couple."

Her own lack of articulation mortified her. _God, could I sound any lamer?_

David lowered his eyes, so she couldn't have looked at him even if she'd wanted to, and leaned forward on the couch, running his hands through his dark blond hair.

"I should've known this was coming," he muttered, more to himself than to her. "I should've known … only, Laurel – you _might _have figured it out a little earlier."

She blushed invisibly, the sap rushing through her veins making her ears ring. "I know. I … guess saying I'm sorry doesn't quite cut it. The way I behaved was unfair to both of you … denying how I felt about Tamani, going out with you even though I _knew_ I couldn't be completely yours … I'm just trying to make it right."

Laurel had been trying to live in both worlds, keeping David as her lover and Tamani as a safe, nonthreatening friend, failed spectacularly, and succeeded only in making both boys upset with her. Tamani _couldn't_ put up with second-best, and as it turned out, neither could she.

Laurel loved Tamani. She had known it from the moment they first kissed – the _rightness_ of it, that passionate flame which made her kisses with David feel like a polite handshake in comparison. Tamani made her come alive, a normally reserved girl suddenly playing pollen tag, dancing and fighting with equal verve until she hardly recognized herself. He was the reason she was so outspoken against the faerie caste system; the idea of him not being her equal in every was hateful to her. She had even broken her word to him to save him from Barnes, knowing she'd rather die with him than leave him to die alone.

She had denied it so long out of loyalty to David, whom she had met first and who was such a _safe_ choice – kind, caring, open-minded, respectful of her faerie self; she would never think to compare being with David to playing at the edge of a raging river. David was a rock. She relied on him. And if a certain _something_ was lacking in their relationship, well, who was she to complain?

David drew himself up, took both her small white hands into his large tanned ones, and met her eyes for the first time. His expression was serious, and he looked more adult than she had ever seen him.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Laurel," he said quietly, keeping the _at last_ at the end of that sentence tactfully to himself. "I understand. Well, not exactly … " with a shaky approximation of his familiar self-deprecating smile, "But I'm trying. So … so does this mean you're going back to … ?"

"No. I have to stay here, remember? To protect my parents. I can't be driving down to Orick every weekend and leave them alone, even with the sentries. And besides that, everything's so uncertain with the trolls, and a long-distance relationship would be just … No."

She screwed up her face and shook her head again, remembering all the awfully sensible arguments she kept running over in her mind. They were the only thing keeping her from jumping into the nearest bus to her old cottage right now.

"But I _am_ going back," she said, a little more firmly. "As soon as the trouble with the trolls is over. The old cottage is my home; I belong there."

I belong with Tamani, she added in her mind's eye, touching the seedling ring pendant around her neck.

David nodded, let go of her hands, and stood up. She followed suit, so that suddenly she had to bend her neck to look at his face.

Suddenly a painful lump came into her throat. She felt as if this were the last time they would see each other – right now, surrounded by this familiar sofa and DVD set and bookshelves and carpeting. David in his jeans and black T-shirt, with that Zac Efron hairstyle she had run her hands through so often. It _was_ the last time, she realized – the next time they met, it would be as two different people. People who were no longer lovers.

God, how she would miss him!

"I'll see you at school tomorrow?" she said, with a smile too weak to fool either of them.

"Yeah. At our usual lunch table, if that's okay."

There it was – the unspoken implication that he wouldn't leave her, that they would try to salvage at least some scraps of the friendship that had changed their lives so deeply.

It was not too late. She could still take back everything she'd said, still throw herself into his arms and be kissed in that gentle, almost reverent way of his – No. No. Thinking of kisses brought her immediately back to Tamani, and confirmed just what she had set out to do. She _had_ to do the honorable thing by both of them – if she couldn't love David with her whole heart, she should not be loving him at all.

"Take care, Laurel," said David, catching on to the atmosphere of farewell. He held out his arms for a hug, dropped them, put out his right hand instead, and ended up giving her clumsy thing between a high-five and a handshake.

Then he left. She did not let herself cry until she heard his car starting outside.


	2. Chapter 2

The Honorable Thing

By Laura Schiller

Based on: Wings

Copyright: Aprilynne Pike

Part 2

"Okay, you guys, what gives?" said Chelsea the next morning, tossing down her fork with a clatter. "D'you have a fight or something? 'Cause if you did, I'd really appreciate it if you could keep your negative vibes to a minimm here."

Laurel and David looked from their lunches – his lasagna, hers salad – and exchanged an awkward glance, each preferring the other to explain it first. Chelsea's boyfriend Ryan fidgeted in his seat, probably embarrassed by her forthrightness but knowing it was of no use to protest.

"We've decided … not to be a couple anymore," said David, kindly shifting the blame off Laurel by making it sound like a mutual decision.

Chelsea's eyes widened. She looked from one of her friends to the other. Red spots bloomed on her cheeks as her eyes settled on David.

"So – how soon until you get back on the market, eh?" she teased, with a grin that was a little too wide. "Dude, I'm kidding," she added to Ryan, who was gripping his sandwich so hard it threatened to fall apart.

"On the market? Chelsea, please don't talk like that." It was a mark of the strain of the past weeks that caused David to criticize his best and oldest friend.

"I'm sorry." Chelsea's blush increased; she ducked her head so her brown curls fell onto her forehead. "It's just … I don't know. A weird day."

"Hey guys, anyone wanna know how Chel's last track meet went?" said Ryan, rather desperately trying to change the subject.

They all seized on the subject of school sports, determined to avoid another awkward moment by any means necessary.

When Chelsea and Laurel went to the bathroom together later (even faeries had certain waste products to expel), the first thing Chelsea did was slump against the wall of sinks and close her eyes.

"I am such an idiot," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Laurel, though she could make a guess.

"I thought, for once, I'd shut up about something. Keep it to myself like everyone else does. I thought it would be better for everyone, you know – David, you, even me – if I pretended I was over him. And I really believed I _was_, Laurel – I _made_ myself believe. D'you ever do that? No, I guess not. And Ryan, oh my God, what am I gonna do?"

She buried her face in her hands and began to cry; her voice, which had been growing more hoarse and unsteady throughout her speech, gave out.

Laurel found it impossible to be angry with this bundle of misery; she put an arm around Chelsea's shoulders and handed her a paper towel from the dispenser to blow her nose.

"You're too nice to a girl who wants to steal your ex," Chelsea rasped. "That's not fair."

Laurel laughed gently. "Okay. Next time you cry in front of me, I'll kick your butt, agreed?"

Chelsea gave a wet little chuckle and wadded up the paper towel into a tiny ball.

"Can you tell me something honestly?" Laurel couldn't help but ask.

"Shoot."

"Don't you – love – Ryan? I remember, you said you did … " It _was_ rather awful, thought Laurel, to be suddenly doubting the word of the most honest person she knew.

Chelsea sighed and shook her frizzy head. "I tried so hard. I thought saying it often enough would make it true. I mean, I _like_ him. He's cute and he's a great kisser. We have fun together. But … you know … he's just not David."

"I know what you mean," said Laurel. It was the same feeling she had about David, who was just not Tamani.

David. It _did_ give her a twinge to think of Chelsea 'stealing' him. But, remembering something Chelsea had said to _her_, Laurel reflected that since he had to move on eventually, it might as well be with a kind, loyal soul like Chelsea.

The next day at lunch hour, Ryan did not join them. Instead he sat with a group of kids from the track team, laughing and joking. Chelsea shrugged and smiled crookedly as they caught sight of him. "Guess it wasn't that serious for him either."


	3. Chapter 3

The Honorable Thing

Part 3

Several months had passed. David and Laurel gradually adjusted to being friends, feeling as if they had to become acquainted all over again. Along with Chelsea, the three of them seemed stuck in limbo, waiting for something to happen.

"Why not just ask her?" said Laurel.

David, sprawled across his bed while she sat at the desk of his room, looked up from his biology textbook and frowned. "Who?"

"Chelsea. To the senior prom. It's in two weeks, you know." Laurel twisted her hands in her lap, finding that being blunt a la Chelsea was not quite as easy as she made it look.

David's left eyebrow quirked up in surprise; then he laughed nervously, ducking his head.

"Chelsea? Nah ... she's … I couldn't. We've known each other since we were ten; I just don't think of her like that."

"Sure?"

"Why?" His cheeks were pink. "Does … does _she_ think of me that way?"

It was a little strange, to hear David speaking like this about another girl. Strange, but much more bearable than she had anticipated. In fact, she found herself thinking more about Chelsea than herself; how it would be too bad if, after all this trouble and heartache, the poor girl's dream could not come true.

"You mean you haven't noticed?" said Laurel. "She checks you out, like, all the time." She said it gently, playfully, to make sure David knew she wasn't jealous.

"C'mon, she does that to all the guys," said David, still blushing.

Laurel said nothing, deciding – with just a glimmer of fall faerie intuition – to let his own imagination do the work.

On prom night, Laurel stayed home. Her mother was sorry, but Laurel didn't much care; for one thing, the only boy she would have wanted as an escort was in another realm; for another, a dance with strobe lights, ear-shattering music and a sweaty gym locale was decidedly not her thing. After her Samhain dance with Tamani, human festivities couldn't compare. Besides, she had never concerned herself too much with fitting in.

The next morning, she woke up with the sun as usual. It was six a.m. After taking a shower, getting dressed and taking her morning walk, she still had half an hour left until she had to leave for school. To pass the time, and to see how her friends had passed the night, she logged on to her computer and checked her facebook updates.

There were pictures posted on her wall. The first one showed Chelsea and David side by side, with David in his Prince Charming tux and Chelsea in a short, swirly black dress printed with red roses. Glossy brown ringlets of hair had escaped from her bun, dancing around her face. David's hair was spiked with gel. They were beaming, possibly a little drunk.

The second photo showed them locked in a kiss.

The comments beneath wrote: _Awesome night! Thanks for the advice, Laurel! XO_

Laurel smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

The Honorable Thing

Part 4

When Laurel came to school the next morning, happily anticipating David and Chelsea's newfound happiness (and hoping it wouldn't get _too_ mushy), she did not expect the first people she saw in the neon-lit hallway to be Mr. James, the biology and homeroom teacher, and an all-too-familiar stranger.

She saw them silhouetted against the row of green metallic lockers like something out of a dream. Mr. James, short and chubby, with a bald spot in the midle of his white hair, talking to a slight, wiry young man with black hair falling into his eyes and an obviously homespun outfit. A cloth bag was slung over his shoulder; his sneakers looked as if he had bought them secondhand, the frayed laces trailing on the floor. He wore no socks. His smooth, tanned face was set in nervous lines and his eyes darted aroundthe place as if expecting an attack.

His eyes. They were dark brown, not green, and so were the roots of his hair. No wonder she almost hadn't recognized him.

"Ah, Laurel!" said Mr. James, cheerfully waving her over. "Laurel Sewell, may I introduce you to our new student, Mr. Tam Lin? I now it's a little irregular to be joining us so late in the semester, but I trust he'll be fitting in in no time. Tam, Laurel here is from Orick. Just like you. What a coincidence, don't you think? You will show him around, won't you, Laurel?"

Laurel met Tamani's eyes for the first time. The color had changed, but the spirit behind them had not. She cold barely breathe, let alone speak.

"Um … yes." She cleared her throat. "Yes, of course."

"I'll leave you to get acquainted, then. See you later!" And Mr. James was off, leaving the two of them alone in a bubble of silence amid the rush of people in the corridor.

He looked at her. She looked at him.

"Hello, Laurel," he said, bowing. Spring faerie to Fall faerie.

"_Please_ stop that," said Laurel, rolling her eyes.

A grin tugged at the left side of his mouth. "I see you haven't changed."

"You have," she pointed out, just to have something to say. "You didn't have to give up your favorite moss, you know. Plenty of humans dye their hair."

Tamani raked a careless hand through his hair, pushing it back from his forehead. "Do they? Ah, well. It'll grow back."

A few beats of silence. Just as it was growing awkward, Laurel pulled herself together.

"Tamani … may I ask why you're here? Not that I'm not glad to see you … "

"My new assignment." He spread his hands and shrugged. "Consider me your bodyguard. After all, there _are_ trolls who can pass as humans. We wouldn't put it past them to infiltrate the school."

Laurel's metaphorical heart sank into her shoes. So he had come out of duty, not because he wanted to see her. She couldn't blame him, after all; the last time they'd met, she had screamed at him to go away.

Her misery must have shown on her face, because Tamani put two fingers under her chin and lifted her head, ever so gently, so she could meet his eyes.

"Not that I needed an excuse to see you or be close to you," he murmured. "I never do."

The corners of her eyes burned with tears. She didn't even care that they were in public, and anyone might be watching them.

"But … why?" she whispered. "After I was so horrible to you … "

He shook his head. "I know you, Laurel. You get confused sometimes, but you don't have a dishonest stem in your body. If you didn't love me, you'd have told me so. And you never could have kissed me like that."

Those kisses. Just the sight of his full lips as he spoke brought the memories rushing back.

"I had to push you away," she hurried to explain. "David was there, and I didn't want to hurt him … I mean, more than he was already. We broke up after. I was angry, scared … I thought staying away from you both was the safest thing to do."

"_I _can keep you safe, Laurel. And so can you, with your own native skills."

She knew that was true. They had risked their lives for each other already. As for her skills, she had already made progress with her first sugar-glass vials and tranquillizers. That was a breakthrough, and she could only get better from here.

"I know."

"I've thought a lot about what you said that night," Tamani continued. "You think I'm prejudiced towards humans, don't you? That I can't accept your two sides the way David can. Well, I went back, left Shar to look after the land, took a crash course at the Manor and came here to prove you wrong."

His dark eyes blazed, ready for a challenge.

"I love you, Laurel Sewell, all of you. Faerie and human. It's not easy for me to wrap my head around a foreign culture, but if it helps me understand you better, I'll do it gladly. Just one word from you, and I'll either go away now and send a replacement sentry … or … ?"

There was no doubt in Laurel's mind about her one word. She put a hand on his arm.

"Stay."

He kissed her, winding his fingers through her hair. Time stopped.

There were, after all, quite a few advantages to being a faerie. Including the length of time you could hold a kiss without coming up for air.

When they finally broke apart, Tamani's eyes were shining. She almost liked them better brown than green; not that it mattered, really, they could have been bright red for all she cared. She grinned at him. He grinned back.

"I can't believe," she said giddily, "That you called yourself Tam Lin of all things. Don't tell me he was a historic figure in Avalon too."

Tam Lin was a character out of Celtic mythology, a young man kidnapped by a faerie queen and rescued by his human beloved. The queen had tested their love by making Tam shapeshift into one dangerous thing after another: a snake, a bear, a flaming coal. Only the girl's fierce determination in holding on to her lover had saved them both. In this case, Laurel supposed it was the other way around. Her Tam had been the one holding on. And it was time to stop shapeshifting on him once and for all.

"He was," said Tamani, with a wink. "I'll tell you the true story later. Right now I do believe we're nearly late for class."

He was right. The hallways were starting to empty. A bell clanged through the building, signaling the beginning of the first class.

Laurel grabbed Tamani's hand and ran, towing him along toward the future.


End file.
